Supercapacitor electrodes based on chemically synthesized polyaniline-iron dust composites

Energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors, have gained tremendous importance in recent decades due to their potential applications in various technological fields. The primary issues with supercapacitor devices are low power density, retention time, and cyclic stability. This work introduces polyaniline (PANI) and its composites with iron dust as electrodes for supercapacitors. The materials were synthesized through in situ polymerization and characterized using UV/visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The UV/visible spectra show characteristic peaks of the emeraldine salt form of PANI, which exhibit a significant change in intensity and position after the formation of the composites with iron dust. The presence of benzenoid and quinoid units of PANI and their interaction with the iron dust were further confirmed by the FTIR spectra. SEM and EDX analysis revealed the incorporation of iron dust within the PANI matrix. TGA analysis indicated enhanced thermal stability of the composites in comparison to neat PANI. The synthesized materials were deposited on a gold sheet electrode for electrochemical characterization. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were assessed by an electrochemical workstation. The PANI/Fe2 composites show a maximum specific capacitance of 517 F/g over a steady potential window of − 0.2 to 0.8 V at a fixed current density of 1 Ag− 1. The cycling stability was 89.55% even after 1100 charge-discharge cycles.